By partnering with the biotechnology start-up FabRx Ltd, the Gustave Roussy cancer center is embarking on 3D drug printing.
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in women around the world, both before and after menopause. One in 9 women will develop breast cancer in her lifetime and 1 in 27 women will die from it.
Combine several drugs into one tablet
What if medications and dosages could be adjusted to each patient with localized breast cancer? Good news, the Gustave Roussy cancer center will remedy this by teaming up with the biotechnology start-up FabRx Ltd to design drugs using 3D printers.“Medicines which are today mass-produced on pharmaceutical production lines have identical characteristics in terms of dosage, appearance… But these production methods do not take into account the uniqueness of each patient”, can we read in the press release from the Gustave Roussy center.
“Providing personalized combinations of molecules with an individually adjusted dosage and manufactured for each patient would better meet their specific needs. In addition, taking several tablets daily is tedious, a source of error and can impact adherence to treatments. […] It allows medicines to be personalized, including in terms of aromas, colors and shapes ”, they add. Obviously, a multicenter clinical study conducted by Gustave Roussy will make it possible to determine the efficacy, acceptability and adherence to treatment compared to conventional care.
For Maxime Annereau, pharmacist responsible for this project at Gustave Roussy and Dr Barbara Pistilli, oncologist and Head of the breast pathology committee at Gustave Roussy, this partnership and the use of this technology will make it possible to “Reduce the risk of recurrence, many women with localized breast cancer are treated with hormone therapy for five years. They often have to take other treatments to manage the side effects ”. They also add that “Taking all of these treatments in a single 3D printed tablet with a personalized dosage should improve treatment adherence. This collaboration will allow us to go even further in personalized medicine and to offer our patients a tailor-made medicine ”.
